The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree
by FeelAllTheFeelsShipAllTheShips
Summary: The Avengers and all of their loved ones disappear without out a trace. Well, not all of them... I do not own the Avengers, Marvel or any of their affiliates.


_**The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree - Chapter One**_

**_In other news, today is the 13th anniversary of the disappearance of the group only known as 'The Avengers'. This group was largely known for stopping the extra-terrestrial attack that nearly wiped out New York, and half of Manhattan. Our sources have yet to confirm their whereabouts. Maybe their hiding from all the damage they have caused from their battle , or maybe they've decided to settle down. Who knows? Will we ever see them again? Only god knows. But in happier news, an elephant has given birth to twins at…_**

Hailey Norman tuned out the news reporter so she could concentrate on studying for her Final Exam on Computational and Systems Biology. For sixteen, she didn't do half bad academically.

_"Who am I kidding?"_ She snickered to herself _"I'm a freaking genius."_

An A-grade student who was in her second year of MIT, Hailey knew she was smart. Sure, some people might find her self-absorbed or obnoxious, but that didn't faze her. People were people and if they didn't regard someone better, they hated them.

_"Oh well, their loss."_ Hailey sighed and flipped to the next page in her text-book. Absorbing herself in reading, she didn't notice that her house had gone suddenly silent. Not a comfortable one, but an eerie, foreboding silence that usually came before a psychopathic killer jumps out of the basement.

She didn't notice her bedroom door opening either.

Noticing a shadow over her book, Hailey looked up.

But it was too late.

She felt something jab her neck and her world instantly went black.

* * *

It was just an average day for Mark Flanagan. He got up, went for a ten kilometer run, ate a whole box of Fruitloops (Which his mother wasn't too happy about) and worked on his sneak. He was world-renowned (Okay, maybe not _world_ renowned, but the other kids on his street thought it was pretty cool) jokester and loved sneaking up on people. In fact, he even snuck up on his school principal once, making him jump and tip his coffee all over his new white pants. Another detention, another teacher; that's all school was to him really.

He didn't care for Algebra or Shakespeare or even art. All he wanted to do was get outside and find some tree or high ground he could watch people from, because everyone knows that the best way to pick your targets is by looking from afar.

But back to the present, Mark noticed that his dog had started barking like a maniac from downstairs. He dropped the fart bomb he was going to place in the air vent of his little sisters room and crept down the hallway to the top of the stairs. His dog _never_ barked. Until that moment, he thought his dog was mute!

_"Something must be wrong if Dopey is barking."_ He thought to himself worriedly. He slowly and carefully stepped down each step, making use of his sneaking abilities to get down silently. He could hear voices coming from his lounge room so, as any fourteen year old boy would; he decided to find out what they were saying.

"… boy is nowhere, sir." One voice reported and he could hear another man sigh.

"He better be here or whoever got us that information will have their stupid-ass fired." A deep voice growled and Mark started backing away. They wanted him. Turning around, he bolted back up the stairs and ran into his room, accidentally slamming the door.

"He's here!" The voice yelled and Mark could hear footsteps stomp up the stairs. Noticing an open window, he jumped out, not considering the height and smacked his head on the hard concrete.

_Well that was dumb._ He thought to himself as he watched someone running up to him. Mark felt his eyes become droopy and he sank into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Leave him alone!" Peggy Lordes yelled at some boys who were picking on a smaller, more fragile boy. One of them laughed.

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it shrimp?" He smirked and his goonies laughed along with him. Peggy didn't respond and the boy took her silence as defeat. He punched the small boy again but was surprised when he felt a blow to the face. Stumbling back, he growled as he tasted blood.

"You're gonna regret that, Lordes. Blake doesn't take any from nobody, not even a hopeless girl like you." One of the older boys snarled and Blake nodded.

"I think this girl should learn respect, shouldn't she boys?" Blake grinned evilly and started advancing on Peggy. She simply tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and stood defiant. When he had reached her, he threw a punch aimed for her head yet she simply ducked and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could. Peggy winced as she heard a bone crack and Blake collapsed to the ground, crying like a small child.

"Shit boys! Let's get outta here!" One of Blake's goons yelled so they grabbed their leader and hauled him away. When they were out of sight, Peggy dropped her stance and rushed over to help the boy who the others were picking on.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked softly, and the boy nodded. "What's your name?" Peggy asked and the boy gave her a small smile.

"Charlie Banks. Why did you help me?"

"I don't like bullies." She replied simply. Charlie nodded again and tilted his head curiously.

"How did you punch him so hard like that?"

"I dunno, I've always been really strong. I guess it's a gift." She answered and held out a hand for Charlie to grab. He took it and she pulled him up off the dirty ground.

"Thanks." But before he could say anything else, they were suddenly surrounded by armed men. Charlie and Peggy looked around nervously and saw a man with an eye patch step forward.

"Mr Banks, Miss Lordes?" He asked and they both nodded. "I am Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. Would you please accompany me to our aircraft? Our arrival at base is needed urgently." Seeing no alternative, they followed him to a futuristic looking ship.

_"Base?"_ Peggy mouthed to Charlie but he just shrugged, staring in awe of the craft in front of him. They climbed aboard the aircraft and sat in seats next to each other.

"Where do you think he's taking us?" Charlie whispered.

"To S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier. There we will brief you on why we need you." Eye-patch man (As Peggy had nicknamed him in her mind) answered and Peggy swallowed nervously.

_Today has taken a strange turn of events._ She stated mentally.

If only she knew.

* * *

**_Somewhere on the other side of America…_**

"Ma'am, I have just learnt from my source that they have started the Avengers Initiative again." A slightly balding man reported to a woman looking at some security footage.

"Ah. The children have come of age, have they not?" She hissed and the man nodded respectfully.

"Yes Miss. The youngest should have had her twelfth birthday no more than four days ago. Would you like me to tell our guests the news?"

"No, I shall do it. I want to see the looks on their faces when I tell them of my new targets." She cackled evilly and the man used every last ounce of will power not to shiver at the menacing laugh.

"One problem ma'am." The man informed nervously. The woman stopped cackling and whipped her head around to face him.

_"What?"_ She hissed loudly and the man swallowed and steeled his nerves.

"The godling has not returned, nor been seen since his birth." The woman snorted and turned back to the live feed.

"That is no problem. He shall be here by sundown tomorrow."

"If I may ma'am, _how_ do you know this?" The woman turned her head at an almost 180 degree angle and looked the man in the eyes, her red, beady slits almost looked as if staring into his soul.

"A mother intuition, if you will." And with that, she stalked out of the room, robes billowing out behind her.


End file.
